


Don't say yes, run away now

by glitterlarries



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: First Love, Fluff, M/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 01:39:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitterlarries/pseuds/glitterlarries
Summary: Realising you're still in love with your ex-boyfriend just a week before he marries someone else is never ideal... To add insult to injury, Harry isn't just the ex-boyfriend; he's the wedding planner too!Written for this prompt: 'Past-Boyfriends: Harry is a wedding planner and Louis is engaged to be married. Louis' fiance takes him to the wedding planner and guess who??! Harry Styles!'





	Don't say yes, run away now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JulieDreamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulieDreamer/gifts).



> I'm sorry for slightly adapting the original prompt I was given, I tried getting the outdoor wedding element in there but it just wasn't happening! 
> 
> This is probably the cheesiest story I've ever written, very much inspired by countless romantic comedies. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

When Louis first decided that he actually wanted to run a coffee shop, not a pub, he had certainly not anticipated the frankly offensive amount of constant cleaning and washing up that is required of such an establishment. Of course, as Liam frequently reminds him, it would be no different had he opted for the pub option. There would also probably be more sick more often. That wouldn’t have been nice. The thing is, Louis never imagined himself owning any business like this one at all. He runs what can only really be described as a kind of trendy hipster-esque cafe and bed and breakfast with multiple vegan dishes on the menu. He still sometimes wonders how he got here, and he’s still constantly surprised at just how much he loves his job.

 

Biscuits and Beans initially started off like any old nice coffee shop. It was a tad overpriced, but not much more so than Starbucks or Costa, and it sold simple hot beverages and had a pretty wide selection of baked goods. Most of these baked goods were biscuits, hence the name. The beans part initially referred to coffee beans. One of the few things Louis will admit to being a full-fledged snob about are hot drinks, especially what constitutes the  perfect cup of tea and what ‘proper’ coffee is. However, when Liam came to work for Louis after being somewhat absent for a year or so, he had curiously asked Louis why he didn’t sell beans- the baked or the green kind. Louis had laughed for a while, and then an interesting idea had struck: what if he expanded his menu slightly to include a few basic bean-based dishes…? After all, vegetarian and vegan dishes were more popular than ever before!

 

To thank Liam for inspiring this thought which turned out to be the making of Louis’ little business, Louis made Liam his assistant manager and had a large poster made and framed from a screenshot of what Louis considered to be one of his best friend’s most excellent, and in this case very fitting, tweets of all time. Customers often have a few questions about why there’s a poster up with the words “I’m only 17 I love green beans” and Louis’ response tends to be that art speaks for itself.

 

The opening of five en-suite guest rooms a couple of years after this happened almost by accident too- people would see the cafe’s basic logo with the initials B&B and ask about the rates of rooms. After explaining that the cafe was in fact no more than a cafe more times than he could count, Louis started looking into expanding his business into the empty premises for sale above. Sometimes he joked that his success all happened kind of by accident, but Louis knows that it’s all mostly down to his hard work and determination. There aren’t loads of things Louis can say he’s hugely proud of, but the cafe is one of them.

 

If it hadn’t been for the cafe and their decision a little over a year ago to showcase the work of local artists, Louis would never have met Luke, his fiancé. Louis can’t quite believe that their wedding day is almost here, and he’s still in a state of almost-shock about his wedding planner… As he stirs the risotto he’s making for a casual dinner party later, Louis thinks back to the strange first meeting he and Luke had had with Harry, their wedding planner…

 

It had been a really busy day at work, several dramas over the coffee machine steamer, a broken hoover, and an argument with his wholesale quinoa supplier. Louis had had to rush off to meet Luke, leaving Liam slightly stuck in the middle of it all. They’d had a slightly rushed lunch, and then walked to the office of the person Luke had chosen to help organise and plan their wedding.

 

That person had been Harry- Louis’ first love.

 

Having your wedding planned by an ex sounds like either a premise for a reality TV show or a romantic comedy. It hadn’t been like that, though. It had just been… nice. It had been so lovely catching up with and getting to know Harry as an adult. They’d very quickly become friends again, and his support and help with the wedding had been invaluable as Luke had been so busy with work over the past few months.

 

Tonight, Louis has invited Harry and his assistant Niall to come and have dinner with himself, Liam, and Luke. It’s just under a week until the big day, and Louis’ actually been looking forward to this meal for the past week.

 

Louis’ phone starts ringing and he sees it’s Luke. His heart sinks because he has an idea of what Luke’s calling to tell him…

 

“Darling, I’m really sorry but I’m not going to be able to come to yours tonight, completely swamped at work so won’t be much fun for you and-” Luke quickly says as soon as Louis picks up. Louis wishes he was surprised and coldly cuts him off.

 

“But we were going to have Harry and some friends round?”

 

“Harry?” Luke asks, sounding baffled.

 

“The wedding planner? The person we’ve been having bi-monthly meetings with for the past four months? My friend from sixth form? Ring any bells?” Louis knows he’s laying on the sarcasm potentially too thick, but right now he’s too fed up to care.

 

“Oh yeah, sorry. Guess I haven’t been as active in the planning stuff as I probably should have been.” Luke doesn’t sound particularly sorry. A part of Louis wants to shout right now, wants to ask why he even bothered proposing…

 

“Well we are getting married next week- you aware of that?” Louis says tightly, through gritted teeth.

 

“Alright! Calm down! Of course I know that- had the following week off confirmed yesterday and everything!” Luke says, his voice annoyingly calm and measured. Louis tries to control himself, tries not to react too much to the fact that his fiancé hadn’t confirmed his attendance at his own fucking honeymoon until the week before.

 

“It wasn’t confirmed until-” Louis begins, shouting slightly incredulously before deciding just to let it go and not let it ruin his night. “Okay you know what, don’t come round tonight. You’re obviously too tired and I don’t want you making Harry uncomfortable.”

 

“Fine. I’ll maybe see you tomorrow then.”

 

“Sure.”

 

-

 

Harry is the first to arrive at Louis’ dinner party. Louis warmly welcomes him in and offers him a glass of wine before informing him that Luke won’t be joining them tonight. Harry is about to ask why, but one look at Louis’ face tells him he doesn’t want to talk about it, and Harry doesn’t want to push it.

 

Harry tries not to be too surprised or too fazed by this change of events. It’s not so much that he’d really wanted to see Luke, it’s more that something doesn’t feel quite right… He’s Louis’ fiancé after all, and the wedding is really really soon… It just sort of feels like Luke should be here too. Harry had got the impression that this dinner was supposed to be a casual blending of friends and colleagues before the intensity of wedding week began. One of the grooms being absent is… surprising.

 

Harry tries not to judge or think too much, though. In all his years of planning weddings, something Harry has learnt is that couples can be surprising, that what might not make sense on paper can in fact be perfect, and that seemingly perfect couples can sometimes get along so badly it’s a wonder they ever wanted to get married at all. So Harry tries his best not to judge, no matter how ‘not right’ things might appear. He needs to give Luke a chance, and really who is he to judge Louis’ fiancé like this… after all, he’s known them six months and they’re about to get married so there’s obviously something good going on there. Harry tries not to let his own personal feelings get in the way.

 

Louis first of all pours them both a large glass of wine.

 

“Is Red okay, sorry- forgot to buy any white so it’s really either this or some cheap rose.” Louis apologises.

 

“Red’s fine. The cheap rose would be fine too, honestly not sure I’m worth your good wine!”

 

“Of course you are! Wish I’d known that before opening the red though, I had to let it ‘sweat’ or something and honestly I personally prefer the rose too…”

 

“Ooh look at you sweating wines and all. How fancy!” Harry jokes, although that annoying voice in his head is yet again making comparisons to the Louis of his past who had been so unapologetically himself.

 

-

 

Dinner ends up being a much more fun affair than Louis had initially expected it to be, even when he’d been under the impression that Luke would be in attendance. In fact… it’s maybe more fun because Luke isn’t there, and Louis doesn’t have to worry too much about him blending in well with his friends, or about everyone getting along properly and… and he hates that he keeps having thoughts like this. Especially this month, it’s been relentless. It’s probably got something to do with the classic pre-wedding jitters. He hopes that’s all it is.

 

Liam is the first to leave as he’s on an opening shift in the morning, and Niall leaves soon after. It’s just Harry and Louis left, and they’re sharing the last of the cheap rose.

 

“So er- how are you feeling about the wedding and everything?” Harry asks, and Louis’ heart sinks a little.

 

“Good, yeah. Feels like it’s just sneaked up on us now y’know?” Louis is well aware that this is not how a person should be talking about their upcoming nuptials so he decides to change the subject. “Do you think you’ll ever get married?”

 

“I don’t know. I get that that’s really weird coming from a wedding planner, but like… I don’t know. The job hasn’t jaded me, I just feel like my getting married is very much dependent on me meeting the right person, and in all honesty I’m a little doubtful about that happening and I’m okay with that.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll make a lovely husband for someone one day.” Louis says, and as he says it he can’t help but feel incredibly sad that he won’t be Harry’s husband. It’s just… it’s just that when they were younger he’d been so sure. At eighteen he’d been so sure that it was going to be forever, that he and Harry would grow up and get married and have the happily ever after kind of story that only some high-school sweethearts get. He’d been so sure. And now, now Harry’s back in his life and Louis’ getting married but not to Harry and it’s been ten years so it shouldn’t feel as wrong as it does right now.

 

“I hope so, maybe.” Harry replies. And somehow in the process of this conversation, they’ve moved closer together. Louis can see Harry up close and honestly this is the first time over the past six months or so that he’s really properly looked at him and… and he’s so beautiful. He always was the most exquisite thing, and now… now he really is something else. Louis looks into Harry’s beautiful green eyes and it’s like he’s eighteen again and it feels like his whole world exists behind those eyes.

 

But he’s twenty-eight now and things have changed. And as much as he’d love to lean in just a little bit more and press his lips to Harry’s beautiful mouth and close his eyes and just start again… He can’t. He has duties and obligations and he isn’t eighteen any more.

 

“I’d better go… um, thank you for a lovely evening Louis.” Harry breaks the silence and backs away, gently tapping Louis on the shoulder instead of giving him the usual goodbye hug. Louis doesn’t blame him.

 

“Bye Haz, get home safe.” Louis says softly, Harry nods and makes his way to the door. They don’t say anything else.

 

The door closes behind Harry and Louis sinks to the floor and tries to process what’s just happened.

 

-

 

Realising you’re still in love with your ex-boyfriend just a week before he marries someone else is never ideal. This, Harry is certain, is the feeling that must have inspired countless songs, films, and heart-wrenching works of art. Because that is exactly how it feels: heart-wrenching. He feels it with every part of his being, and never before has he so truly and entirely understood why they call it heartbreak. It’s agony.

 

To add insult to injury, Harry isn’t just someone who’s realised too late that he still loves his ex-boyfriend who is about to marry someone else. Nope. Harry just so happens to also be the person hired to arrange his wedding. If this ever stops hurting, Harry vows to renounce his previous lifelong love for irony and romantic comedies.

 

Still, at least his eventual realisation has helped him make the decision he should probably have made before this all happened. Niall had warned him at the start, asked if he was sure he’d be okay working closely with his ex as they planned his wedding to a man that would never be Harry. Harry had just been so sure at the start, so convinced there’d be no danger of that. But it was just…. It’s… it’s just Louis. Louis. Harry had been so completely gone for him at just sixteen years old, he’d fallen so hard so fast and he’d never really recovered. No wonder history had repeated itself, no wonder this had happened.

 

Harry sighs, deciding to finalise everything before he truly lets himself wallow. Tonight, he’ll eat his feelings, drink a bottle of wine, listen to a lot of Dido, and maybe do a bit of writing. Experiencing heartbreak for the first time since he was a teenager is one thing, but this time it’s so much more intense. Maybe he’ll get a half-decent poem or something out of it. Probably not, but drunk Harry has always been oddly partial to a sonnet made up of cliche.

 

Harry rings Niall, his best friend and assistant.

 

“Niall, I know it’s short notice but I was wondering if you could er- sort the finishing touches to the Green-Tomlinson wedding this weekend? I’m so sorry to spring this on you, I’ll er-”

 

“So you finally realised it then?” Niall asks softly, Harry kind of wants to cry.

 

“I um- yes. I realised.” he replies thickly, swallowing as he tries to find the right words to elaborate.

 

“What are you going to do? Are you going to tell him?”  Niall asks. This, Harry knows the answer to.

 

“No, it wouldn’t be fair. I know none of us really get what he sees in Luke, but he sees enough to want to marry him so… so that’s all there is really, isn’t it?” Harry says sadly.

 

“But won’t you always wonder?” Niall asks wistfully.

 

“Yes, but like… what’s the best-case scenario here Niall?” Harry asks, and he means it rhetorically but Niall decides not to take it that way.

 

“You tell him you love him, he says he loves you too, and - in the words of Alan Rickman’s snake of a Love, Actually character - you have lots of sex and babies?” Niall suggests, chuckling weakly.

 

“But the most likely scenario is that I tell him I love him, that makes it weird between us because he doesn’t feel the same, he gets married to Luke, and I lose him as a friend all over again.” Harry sighs.

 

“But-”

 

“There aren’t any buts, Niall. I’m not going to ask him to choose because he’s made his choice. He’s one of the absolute best people I’ve ever known, and if a friend is all he’ll ever be, so be it. I love him and I want the best for him, and I want to have him in my life in whatever capacity I can. So he’ll be my friend, okay?”

 

“Okay. I just think-”

 

“I know, I know. But it can’t happen.” Harry is resigned to this truth. IT will be okay, he just needs time.

 

“Okay. Are all the wedding details on the shared drive?” Niall changes the subject back to the real issue at hand: working on Louis’ wedding.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Fab, I’ve officially taken over now, yeah?” he says gently, and again Harry feels such a rush of warmth towards his best friend for knowing when to stop.

 

“Thank you.” Harry is thanking Niall for far more than just taking over the wedding, and he thinks Niall knows this.

 

“Do you want me to come over?”

 

“I’ll be alright thank you, just going to do some eating, drinking, and wallowing.”

 

“See you Monday?”

 

“See you Monday. Oh, and Niall?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Thanks for being such a good friend.”

 

“No need to thank me for that! Love you H!”

 

“Love you, bye.”

 

“Bye! Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make things even remotely happier or easier for you.”

 

“Thank you, I will.”

 

Harry spends the next hour in the shower blasting Adele and crying because realistically, he’s never going to find another someone like Louis. He’ll try, though. He has to try.

 

Once out of the shower, Harry pours himself a glass of wine and empties half a tube of Pringles into a bowl. After lighting the three-wick candle he’d been saving for a special occasion, Harry flops down on his sofa and thinks his way through the past he and Louis have shared…

 

He’s sixteen and scared and starting Sixth Form at a college where he doesn’t really know anyone at all… But there’s this boy in his tutor group who seems in his element, starting easy conversations with just about everyone in the room and introducing himself and… And now it’s Harry’s turn and the sun was in his eyes but now the sunlight seems to be emanating from a beautiful boy who Harry is pretty convinced is the human embodiment of sunshine and… and somehow this boy has chosen to sit next to Harry and he’s telling him his name is Louis and he likes Harry’s Doctor Who thermos and curls…

 

He’s seventeen and he’s madly in love with his best friend. He’s pretty sure Louis feels the same, there are looks. So many looks. They both know, really, neither of them is brave enough to act on it yet, but it’s nice to both be in on the same secret. It’s going to happen soon, and soon is more than enough for Harry right now… Everything else in life seems to be moving too fast, but when it’s just the two of them it all feels so much more manageable and okay… He’s meeting Louis at their usual spot, and he doesn’t know it but Louis’ about to kiss him and everything’s about to change and become even more magical than it was before.

 

He’s eighteen and he’s crying because Louis told him they need to break up, at least for a while. Harry had been prepared to give up his original university plans for Louis and that had… that had bothered Louis far more than Harry had thought it would. So many long-term couples break up just before uni or in the first term, Harry knows, but he never thought it would be them, can’t quite comprehend it being over…

 

And the years go by and it’s been nearly a decade since he saw his first-love for the last time. Now suddenly Harry’s twenty-eight and Louis just walked into his office with his fiancé. And somehow Harry’s planning his ex-boyfriend’s wedding and they’re all trying so hard to pretend it isn’t weird…

 

And just a few weeks later it had all kind of started again… Harry had fallen back in love with this person he thinks is maybe made of sunlight… It had been so easy… The cake samples, the confetti dramatics, the tasting menu… The strangeness of planning most of a wedding with only one half of the couple... The strangeness of that half being the half that Harry fell in love with at seventeen… The catching up with a family who had once felt like his own… It had all just… happened.

 

The last straw had been yesterday evening. Louis had asked Harry to come round and help him choose the music for the wedding. They’d practiced the dance and… and there had been a moment. If his life was a romantic comedy, Harry would have taken that moment to kiss Louis. But he hadn’t because it wouldn’t have been right.

 

Harry’s wallowing is interrupted by an insistent ringing of his flat’s buzzer.

 

“Hi?” Harry presses the intercom, half-expecting Niall. He nearly falls over when he hears the voice on the other end. Louis.

 

“Hello Harry, can I er- can I come up?” he sounds very tentative and unsure.

 

“Of course!” Harry replies, pressing the button to unlock the door.

 

Harry paces the flat for a minute as he waits for Louis to arrive at his front door. He has no idea why he’s here or what he can do for him, and-

 

And Louis knocks at the door. Harry moves to open the door and let him in. Louis looks… well, he looks a bit of a mess. His eyes are red like he’s been crying, and there are very dark circles underneath, like he hasn’t slept properly in a while. He’s wearing slightly rumpled clothes and Harry’s pretty sure it’s the same outfit he was wearing last night, last night when they’d had that moment…

 

“Louis, are you…” Harry trails off as Louis bursts into tears. Harry puts and arm around him and leads him to the sofa. He sits close by but doesn’t touch him, trying his best to respect the boundaries that he knows should be there. It’s so hard, though, just sitting and watching as the person he loves most of all sits there and sobs. Harry moves slightly closer and puts an arm around Louis, Louis moves closer and ends up in Harry’s arms, resting his head on Harry’s shoulder as he shudders with the weight of his sobs, with the weight of whatever it is that’s made him so sad and broken.

 

Slowly, Louis’ breathing begins to return to normal and the stream of tears slows down. He moves so he’s facing Harry.

 

“I’m so sorry for that, I didn’t mean to cry all over you.” he says, trying to force a smile.

 

“It’s fine Lou, honestly. Would you like a cup of tea or a glass of wine?”

 

“I’d love a wine but I think it had better be tea, thank you Haz.”

 

Harry goes into the kitchen to make them both a cup of tea. Louis doesn’t follow, and Harry’s glad. He needs a few minutes to compose himself too. He’s not sure entirely why Louis’ here, although he suspects it might have something to do with last night. He wonders if Louis’ maybe having cold feet about the wedding… He doesn’t know really what to do or say, just knows he has to try his best to be a good friend. He owes Louis that.

 

Harry brings the tea into the living room and passes Louis his- milk with no sugar. A younger, more playful Harry would right about now be cheesily smiling and saying he’s sweet enough. Harry sips his own tea, knowing full well it’s too hot, as he waits for Louis to talk. He doesn’t want to prompt him or rush him.

 

“So you might be wondering why I’m here…?” Louis begins nervously.

 

“I am a bit, yeah.” Harry replies.

 

“I’m here because… because, honestly I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. And by that I don’t mean you were my only choice… Like, you are the only person I want to see right now. It wasn’t a choice, I just- I just had to see you, okay?”

 

“Okay…”

 

“Last night I nearly kissed you, Harry.”

 

“I noticed. Nearly kissed you too, if we’re being entirely honest here.”

 

“I don’t know if I’m glad you didn’t or if I wish you had.”

 

“I know the feeling.”

 

“I don’t know what to do, Haz.”

 

“I wish I could tell you, Lou, I really do.”

 

“I’m not asking you to fight for me, you know that right? This isn’t a ploy or desperate game or whatever… I don’t know how you feel about me, and I don’t think it should make too much of a difference…”

 

“You’re right. Whatever it is, you need to make the decision based on your own feelings.”

 

“I’m very aware that if it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be very happy and in love and excited to be married… and again, that sounds incredibly mean but I really mean it in the opposite way. Seeing you, getting to know you again… Harry, I honestly didn’t see any of this coming, I didn’t think… I didn’t know it was your business, and I um- I don’t know what I’d have done if I had known that the office we were about to walk into was yours. I’m making a mess of this, I can’t get my words right and I’m sorry… Like, what I’m trying to say I suppose is that I have feelings for you and doubts about marrying Luke and that I feel like a really terrible person for coming to you and dumping all this on you- and… and I just don’t know what to do.”

 

“What do you want to do?”

 

“Start again.”

 

“That’s not an option, Lou. I’m really sorry, but you are going to have to make some big decisions, just know that you have a lot of people who love you and will stand by you, whatever you decide.”

 

“I really want you to-”

 

“You really want me to tell you what I think you should do.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I can’t do that because I don’t know what you should do. I know what I’d like you to do, but telling you that would be unbelievably selfish and unfair of me.”

 

“But I’m asking-”

 

“Lou, remember how you broke up with me because I was making decisions about my future based too much on you and your own decisions?”

 

“Yeah, what’s your point?”

 

“My point is that if I told you what I wanted from you now, and if you then did that… it wouldn’t be totally right. I don’t- I don’t want to influence you, I want you to make the best choices for yourself. I can’t be responsible for your relationship or for your potential marriage… I’m really sorry but it’s all on you.”

 

“I know, I’m so sorry. It’s not fair for me to be doing this to you… it’s not fair on you or on Luke or on anyone and I’m just so sorry…”

 

“Stop being sorry, Louis. Instead, please just do some thinking about what it is you want. Not what everyone else wants, not what will be easiest, not what makes the most sense… just- just find a way to decide what you want, and then see if you can make it happen. That’s all you can do, I think.”

 

“Thanks Harry, I’m er- I’m going to go now. I’m so sorry for coming here and um… well, you know. I’ll see you, yeah?”

 

“See you, get home safe okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m going to Liam’s.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Okay, um- bye then?”

 

“Bye Lou, take care.”

 

“Take care, Haz.” Louis says it so quietly it’s almost a whisper. He slowly opens the door and leaves, giving Harry one last long look before the door closes behind him.

 

The moment the door shuts, Harry collapses in a heap on the floor.

 

-

 

After leaving Harry’s, Louis walks slowly down the road to Liam’s flat. He tries to process some of what’s just happened as he makes his way down the road and along the high street. It had been so hard not to tell Harry more, not to tell him just how much he’s found himself thinking and dreaming about him… And Luke… Louis feels so awful to even be considering doing this to him but… but Luke just hasn’t been around. He’s been trying so long to convince himself that things will change when they get married but… but they still haven’t moved in together and Louis had been lying all the times he’d told Liam it didn’t bother him.. Or maybe he hadn’t been lying and that in itself was a problem…

 

Louis is about five minutes away from Liam’s when he decides to try giving Luke a call. He doesn’t know what he wants to say or what he wants to hear, but he‘s suddenly very aware that he’s been discussing his concerns with just about everyone but Luke.

 

It goes straight to voicemail and Louis wishes this was surprising. He sends him a message instead: ‘Call me when you see this please, it’s important, xx’.

 

Louis sighs as he once again

 

Liam is honesty the most pragmatic, organised human being Louis thinks he’s ever met. He doesn’t always give him enough credit, really. Within half an hour of his turning up on Liam’s doorstep in a complete state after his conversation with Harry, Liam has thrown him in the shower, made him change into warm clothes, fed him macaroni cheese, and now has him on the sofa writing a pros and cons list like it’s Friends and he’s Ross of all characters.

 

“Pros and cons of what, Liam?” Louis asks, a part of him still trying to play dumb. He doesn’t want to accept that it’s more than him choosing between Luke and Harry… and that’s assuming Harry even wants him to… No, it’s about far more than being torn between two men and they all know it.

 

“Well I’d say at the moment we need to make it simply whether or not you’re getting married this week. That’s the most time-sensitive decision, I’d say.”

 

“Yeah. I suppose it could always be postponed… but then all the hard work… I just…”

 

“Louis?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you want to be married to Luke?”

 

“Um… I think it would be nice, yes.”

 

“You think it would be nice?”

 

“Yeah… what’s wrong with that as a reason?”

 

“Nothing, just…”

 

“What?”

 

“Um… I feel a bit like you said Harry was earlier, not wanting to tell you what to do. Er- actually Lou, y’know what all this really reminds me of?”

 

“What?”

 

“The Notebook. You’re Allie, Harry’s Noah, and Luke’s Lon.”

 

“So you think I should-”

 

“I don’t think you should anything. I’m just saying that you’re at the same crossroads Allie is at that point in the film when Noah asks her what she wants.”

 

“Harry asked me what I wanted.”

 

“And what do you want?”

 

“I- I- I can’t remember what Allie did next… like I know she picked Noah, but how did she decide in the end? I’ve forgotten…”

 

“Want to watch?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“I’m only putting the last half hour on, alright?” Liam says sternly. Louis tries not to giggle at the absurdity of the whole setup right now. How has his life come to this? Why is he looking for guidance from a Nicholas Sparks film?

 

“Thank you Li, love you.”

 

Both are wiping their eyes at the end of the film. And Louis knows what he’s going to do.

 

“So?”

 

“So um… I think, I think Luke’s lovely, I think he’s kind, I think he’s stable, I think he’d be a good husband. But…”

 

“But?”

 

“But I don’t have the feelings for him that I have for Harry. I used to compare them a lot in the beginning, y’know? Like Harry was my first big relationship, and Luke was my first really serious adult relationship. I’d put all the butterflies and the sparky stuff down to it being young and the first time but when I started feeling it all again with Harry… It’s always going to be Harry for me, isn’t it? Even if Harry tells me he doesn’t feel the same, I still shouldn’t marry Luke. It wouldn’t be fair on either of us, I don’t think.”

 

As soon as the words are out, Louis feels like a massive weight has been lifted. It won’t be easy. Cancelling a wedding and breaking up with a fiance… it’s going to be so hard and so messy and he’s so incredibly sorry to be putting Luke through so much, but… but it’s less painful to do it now than if they were to marry for the wrong reasons and get a divorce further down the line, Louis supposes.

 

Louis stays at Liam’s that night. They watch a few episodes of Friends and then go to bed, Louis tries not to think too much about the conversations he has to have tomorrow. Having finally made a decision, though, Louis sleeps better than he’s slept in months.

 

-

 

When Harry wakes up, the first thing he does is check his phone. There’s no message from anyone saying that the wedding’s off, and he doesn’t even try to lie to himself about the sinking feeling in his chest. He’s past pretending now, he’s finished. Oddly, the events of last night had confirmed that for him. One last big lie… not even a lie, not really. One last attempt at doing the right thing. One last time not being selfish.

 

He’s glad Niall’s taking over. He knows now that there’s no chance he can sit and discuss the finer details of Louis’ wedding to someone who isn’t him.

 

-

 

Louis takes a deep breath as he knocks on the door to Luke’s studio. It’s time.

 

-

 

Harry decides to work from home, and is relieved when he checks his files and sees there isn’t a huge amount that needs doing over the next few days. He might be able to take a break this weekend, he’s thinking he might go and stay at his mum’s.

 

-

 

Luke takes it too well. Louis feels hurt by his nonchalance, and as much as he’s glad it’s going to be easy and amicable… there’s something that really doesn’t sit right. It seems wrong that his partner of three years isn’t as torn up about their break-up as he is, especially given the amount of money they’re both going to be losing on the wedding.

 

It’s over though, and that tight feeling of being trapped… that’s all gone now.

 

Louis runs back in tears and, after Louis’ embarrassed himself by crying in front of several customers, Liam takes him up to his flat and insists that he take at least a few days off.

 

Louis packs a bag and finds himself at the train station without even thinking too much about it. He needs his mum.

 

-

 

Harry cries a little on the train. It’s not a long journey, just an hour or so into the country. His mum is at the station in her car to pick him up. She gets out of the car when she sees him approaching, and he runs into her arms and cries a little more.

 

They get home, they drink tea, and Harry tells her everything.

 

-

 

The moment Louis arrives on his mother’s doorstep, she wraps him up in her arms and then sends him to bed. He sleeps for fifteen hours and when he wakes up he feels almost new.

 

-

 

After getting dropped back off at the station on Sunday evening, Harry stands on the platform and feels very reflective… these last six months have been… interesting. And if nothing else, he’s learnt just how much more he needs to act. He needs to start putting a little more into his personal and his social life as well as in his work. Something needs to change. He needs to move on and he needs to be someone slightly newer. It’s all going to be okay.

 

-

 

Louis’ mum drops him off at the station. She stops him just as he’s about to get out of the car, taking his hands and looking closely at him before speaking.

 

“Louis, I just wanted to say it’s okay, you know? I know you’re beating yourself up about the whole wedding but honestly it’s okay. We’re all just so glad you’re not going through with something you don’t wholly believe in. When you do get married… there shouldn’t be any doubt in your mind that it’s the right thing.”

 

“Thanks, I- I just don’t know what to do next…”

 

“I think you do know, Louis.”

 

“But what if he doesn’t…”

 

“Well then at least you’ll know and can move on.”

 

“I’m sorry for being so dramatic and-”

 

“Stop. Now get on that train and please remember that there’s nothing for you to apologise for!” she leans over and gives him a brief but tight hug.

 

“Love you.” Louis says softly.

 

“Love you too, I’ll see you soon, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Louis says, getting out of the car and walking up to the station.

 

-

 

The train’s due to arrive any moment and it’s visible in the distance so Harry stands in prime position with his suitcase at the platform edge. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees someone running for the train. It takes a few seconds for him to realise who it is.

 

“Louis?!”

 

“Harry?!”

 

“I didn’t know you’d gone home!” Harry asks, not sure why he felt like this was a necessary comment to make. He puts it down to surprise.

 

“I called off the wedding, didn’t you know?” Louis asks.

 

“My phone’s been switched off, I needed to get away.” Harry says, not sure if he’s now glad or annoyed at that decision.

 

“Oh. Well… yeah. I’m not getting married anymore.” Louis says quietly.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. It can’t have been an easy decision for you to make.”

 

“It wasn’t. It was the right one though.” Louis replies, moving so he’s properly facing Harry. Harry looks down at Louis’ beautiful face and feels slightly breathless. He quickly scolds himself, though, because this is not the moment.

 

-

 

The train they’d both been planning on getting comes and goes. Time stops for a moment.

 

“We missed the train.” Harry states the obvious, making Louis giggle.

 

“We did. There’ll be another!” Louis replies brightly, leading Harry over to a bench.

 

It starts to rain and Harry puts an umbrella up, sheltering both of them.

 

“I love you Harry. Not just because you’re sharing an umbrella with me… I just- I just fully love you so much, and I want you to know that, okay?”

 

“I love you too.” Harry whispers, eyes filling with tears. He wipes them away and leans into Louis embrace. Before he knows it, their lips have found each other and it’s like coming home for the first time in ten years.  


End file.
